Estimates for Public Services 2019: Motion (Continued)
  Messages from Select Committee
  Estimates for Public Services 2019: Message from Select Committee
  Ábhair Shaincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Matters
  Rent Freeze (Fair Rent) Bill 2019: Second Stage (Resumed) [Private Members]

Thursday, 12 December 2019

Dáil Éireann Debate
Vol. 991 No. 3

(Speaker Continuing)

[Deputy Patrick O'Donovan:  ] Those pressures have to be paid for, however. Is anybody really suggesting we should not pay the increases factored in by way of pay agreements and that may not have been envisaged at the start of the budgetary cycle? Is anybody really saying the €335 million to go into the healthcare system should not be invested because of the pressures? Is anybody really suggesting an additional €68 million should not be invested in the education system to address a range of demographic issues, such as the recruitment of additional teachers, changes in pay for teachers, the recruitment of additional special needs assistants and the changing of school transport. Those of us from rural areas know how difficult it is to get transport for children. Changes were made this year in this regard. It all costs money.

At the same time, Deputy Broughan is right about the future reduction of the pupil-teacher ratio. I hope that will continue. That costs money also.

This is nothing new. It is to be noted that the funding, €634 million, is less than that for 2018 and about at the level for 2017. It is really a little disingenuous to say this is something new and that it suggests the Government is not in command of its brief. This is the Government responding to pressures that have arisen throughout the year that have to be paid for. We have to pay for these things. We cannot just ignore the fact that there are pressures concerning various elements of expenditure. We are not ignoring the fact that there are areas of under-expenditure. There is under-expenditure that can be factored back in.

There are greater levels of detail. I cannot really comment on the constituency issues raised but I am sure the relevant Ministers will be more capable of answering the questions. I can guarantee, however, that if the State agencies referred to a while ago did not respond positively in engaging with the communities being engaged with, we would have something else to say. Every day I come in here, I listen to questions for the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. Sometimes Members make demands as if there were an out-of-control taxi meter while, at the same time, they criticise the fact that we are today looking for an additional €634 million. In the round, everybody accepts that these things have to be paid for.

  Votes put and agreed to.

Messages from Select Committee

Acting Chairman (Deputy Declan Breathnach):   The Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach has completed its consideration of the Migration of Participating Securities Bill 2019 and has made no amendments thereto.

  The Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach has completed its consideration of the Investment Limited Partnerships (Amendment Bill) 2019 and has made no amendment thereto.

Estimates for Public Services 2019: Message from Select Committee

Acting Chairman (Deputy Declan Breathnach):   The Select Committee on Education and Skills has completed its consideration of the following Supplementary Estimate for public services for the service of the year ending 31 December 2019: Vote 26.

Ábhair Shaincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Matters

Acting Chairman (Deputy Declan Breathnach):   I wish to advise the House of the following matters in respect of which notice has been given under Standing Order 29A and the name of the Member in each case: (1) Deputy Robert Troy - to discuss the provision of facilities for an MRI scanner for Midland Regional Hospital, Mullingar; (2) Deputies Thomas P. Broughan, Gino Kenny, Ruth Coppinger, Marcella Corcoran Kennedy and Mattie McGrath - to discuss improvements in the diagnosis and the treatment of endometriosis; (3) Deputy Frank O'Rourke - to discuss the advancement of housing development on vacant lands at Hazelhatch, Celbridge; (4) Deputy Noel Rock - to discuss extending the north-east inner city initiative to Ballymun; (5) Deputy Seán Crowe - to discuss the threat of rising insurance costs to small businesses, community centres and childcare providers; (6) Deputy Mary Butler - to discuss the stoma clinic service at University Hospital Waterford; (7) Deputy John Brady - to discuss manning levels in the fire service in Bray, County Wicklow; (8) Deputy John Lahart - to discuss the relocation of Firhouse Educate Together secondary school for 18 to 24 months; (9) Deputy Paul Murphy - to discuss the recent report on relationships and sexuality education in primary and post-primary schools; (10) Deputy Carol Nolan - to discuss delays in the issuing of tree-felling licences; (11) Deputy Charlie McConalogue - to discuss measures taken to reopen the live crab export market to China; (12) Deputy Aindrias Moynihan - to discuss the provision of the new Garda station at Macroom; and (13) Deputy Pat The Cope Gallagher - to discuss the registration of Little Learner's Montessori, Glenties, County Donegal.

Rent Freeze (Fair Rent) Bill 2019: Second Stage (Resumed) [Private Members]

Acting Chairman (Deputy Declan Breathnach):   I must now deal with a postponed division relating to Second Stage of the Rent Freeze (Fair Rent) Bill 2019, taken on Tuesday, 10 December 2019. On the question, "That the Bill be now read a Second Time", a division was claimed, and in accordance with Standing Order 70(2) that division must be taken now.

Question put: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time."

The Dáil divided: Tá, 83; Níl, 36; Staon, 0.

Tá	Níl		Staon
Aylward, Bobby.	Bailey, Maria.
Barry, Mick.	Barrett, Seán.
Brady, John.	Breen, Pat.
Brassil, John.	Brophy, Colm.
Breathnach, Declan.	Bruton, Richard.
Broughan, Thomas P.	Burke, Peter.
Browne, James.	Cannon, Ciarán.
Buckley, Pat.	Carey, Joe.
Burton, Joan.	Corcoran Kennedy, Marcella.
Butler, Mary.	Coveney, Simon.
Byrne, Thomas.	Creed, Michael.
Cahill, Jackie.	D'Arcy, Michael.
Calleary, Dara.	Doherty, Regina.
Casey, Pat.	Donohoe, Paschal.
Cassells, Shane.	Durkan, Bernard J.
Chambers, Jack.	English, Damien.
Collins, Joan.	Farrell, Alan.
Collins, Michael.	Flanagan, Charles.
Collins, Niall.	Harris, Simon.
Connolly, Catherine.	Heydon, Martin.
Coppinger, Ruth.	Humphreys, Heather.
Cowen, Barry.	Kyne, Seán.
Crowe, Seán.	Madigan, Josepha.
Cullinane, David.	McLoughlin, Tony.
Curran, John.	Mitchell O'Connor, Mary.
Doherty, Pearse.	Moran, Kevin Boxer.
Donnelly, Stephen.	Murphy, Eoghan.
Dooley, Timmy.	Naughton, Hildegarde.
Ellis, Dessie.	Noonan, Michael.
Ferris, Martin.	O'Connell, Kate.
Fitzmaurice, Michael.	O'Donovan, Patrick.
Fitzpatrick, Peter.	Phelan, John Paul.
Fleming, Sean.	Ring, Michael.
Funchion, Kathleen.	Rock, Noel.
Harty, Michael.	Ross, Shane.
Haughey, Seán.	Stanton, David.
Healy, Seamus.
Howlin, Brendan.
Kelly, Alan.
Kenny, Gino.
Kenny, Martin.
Lahart, John.
Lawless, James.
Lowry, Michael.
Martin, Catherine.
Martin, Micheál.
McConalogue, Charlie.
McGrath, Michael.
Mitchell, Denise.
Moynihan, Aindrias.
Munster, Imelda.
Murphy O'Mahony, Margaret.
Murphy, Catherine.
Murphy, Eugene.
Murphy, Paul.
Naughten, Denis.
Nolan, Carol.
O'Brien, Darragh.
O'Brien, Joe.
O'Dea, Willie.
O'Keeffe, Kevin.
O'Loughlin, Fiona.
O'Reilly, Louise.
O'Rourke, Frank.
O'Sullivan, Jan.
O'Sullivan, Maureen.
O'Sullivan, Pádraig.
Ó Broin, Eoin.
Ó Caoláin, Caoimhghín.
Ó Cuív, Éamon.
Ó Laoghaire, Donnchadh.
Ó Snodaigh, Aengus.
Pringle, Thomas.
Rabbitte, Anne.
Ryan, Brendan.
Scanlon, Eamon.
Sherlock, Sean.
Shortall, Róisín.
Smith, Brendan.
Smyth, Niamh.
Stanley, Brian.
Tóibín, Peadar.
Ward, Mark.

Tellers: Tá, Deputies Aengus Ó Snodaigh and Denise Mitchell; Níl, Deputies Seán Kyne and Tony McLoughlin.

Question declared carried.

  Sitting suspended at 2.10 p.m. and resumed at 2.50 p.m.